Six Signs your Brand Voice is in need of a Tune-Up

You set the language and tone when you started out – but is it still the right song to sing, to reach the audience you really want? Here’s why it’s so important to make sure your brand voice is in tune with your business today, and six signs that it might not be…

Brand messaging, brand voice, brand consistency – a lot of terms that can feel like another language, unless you’re a marketing expert, and having to keep all this in mind can make writing for your business feel even more complicated. But in the simplest terms, your brand voice is the language and tone you use to talk about what you do.

You’ll have decided on all that when you set up your business, whether you did it consciously or not. You wrote the words for your website a certain way on your website, you chose a pitch style and content for networking, and you no doubt composed social media posts in the same vein. Maybe you went for warm and approachable, or maybe bold and cheeky: but your brand voice is your own, and it’s one of your most valuable assets. It shapes how people feel about you and whether they trust you.

Over time, things can change. Perhaps you’ve got someone new to write and manage your social media, or maybe you’ve honed and refined what you offer, and you’re targeting more specific groups of people now. It’s likely that you, as its chief ambassador, will have changed as well – you’ll be more confident in what you’re offering, who you want to deliver it to, and how to speak about it when you network.

If you grow and evolve, it’s vital to check that your brand voice on your website matches the way you’re speaking on social media, in marketing emails and in pitches – because if not, you’re at risk of confusing and putting new customers off (and possibly even existing ones).

 

Why does it matter?

Consistency is essential for building trust. If your voice is all over the place, your audience will get confused about what you stand for. If a business comes across as fun and playful on Instagram, but sends out an email that’s stiff and corporate, you will feel unsure about which version is the “real” one – and it’s highly likely to make you think twice about using them.

If your audience isn’t certain that they are the type of person you’re targeting, they will move on – absolutely the last thing you want.

You may not have the marketing budgets of the big brands, but you do have the power of authenticity and personal connection, and the power of the credibility that brings. A consistent voice and tone helps people recognise you instantly and feel reassured that you’re the right choice.

Signs you need a Brand Voice tune-up

Here are a few clues your brand voice might be need a review and tune-up for strength and consistency:

1. Customers are confused about what you do: people often ask basic questions you thought your website or socials already answered, your voice may be unclear or inconsistent.
2. You struggle to create consistent content: you keep second-guessing what to write.
3. Your engagement is lower than you would expect it to be.
4. It doesn’t feel authentic when you’re writing – like you’re “putting on a persona” that isn’t how you’d naturally speak to a customer.
5. Different platforms sound like they’re different businesses
6. You’re attracting the wrong customers – you get enquiries, but they’re not the ones you want.

If any of these ring true, it might be time for a little review of your brand voice – and as luck would have it, I have a completely free Healthcheck challenge coming up this month!

 

The Brand Voice Health Check

This October, I’m running a special three-day Brand Voice Health Check, starting on Monday 20th October. In three simple tasks, we’ll review whether your brand voice could do with an update, and where to begin to get that across your communications, to match who you are and who you’re trying to reach.

If you’re already a member of my Content Cracked group, you don’t need to do a thing – it will all be happening in there across those three days, with a short live video at 9am to give you a quick and easy task for the day. Alternatively you can sign up to take part via email, and I’ll send the tasks straight to your inbox each day. Sign up here: Brand Voice Healthcheck

When your brand voice is strong and consistent, your business feels stronger too – and your confidence in writing and speaking about it grows much stronger as well. I’d love to help you get that brand voice singing strong and true through everything you say on behalf of your business, everywhere you say it.

And if you’re feeling like a complete beginner when it comes to all this brand stuff, have a look at my post from last month – getting your brand message right. This is the best place to start: https://rlcwords.co.uk/2025/09/09/what-should-your-brand-messaging-be/